Stolen Truck Strikes, Kills Sunrise Woman

February 5, 1985|By Michael Connelly, Staff Writer

A 25-year-old Sunrise woman died Monday morning when her car was struck head on by a stolen truck that went out of control and veered into oncoming traffic on Sunrise Boulevard, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

The driver of the truck jumped out of the crushed cab and ran away immediately after the accident, trooper John Eaton said. Two others were injured in the four-vehicle accident at Northwest Ninth Court near the Fort Lauderdale city line, Eaton said.

``At this point, we don`t know anything about the driver -- who he is or how bad he is hurt,`` Eaton said.

The highway patrol, Broward Sheriff`s Office and Fort Lauderdale police responded to the 8:25 a.m. accident just west of Interstate 95. The wreckage of the truck and two cars forced authorities to close all three eastbound lanes of Sunrise for more than an hour.

According to the highway patrol, the truck was heading west when it struck the back end of a vehicle driven by Fred Mabry, 31, of Southwest 132nd Terrace, Davie. Eaton said the truck then swung out of control, hit the center median and jumped into the oncoming traffic in the eastbound lanes.

Officials said the truck hit a Volvo, demolishing its front end and killing its driver, Christine Gregory, of Northwest 84th Avenue, Sunrise.

The impact of the collision pushed the Volvo into an eastbound station wagon driven by Susan Kelley, 42, of Northwest 21st Street, Sunrise, officials said. After striking the Volvo, the truck rolled over and came to rest next to a utility pole on the side of the road.

Eaton said Mabry and Kelley received minor injuries and were taken to Broward General Medical Center for treatment.

Officials said the empty truck, which was used by the Vietnam Veterans of America to collect surplus goods, had been stolen from World Thrift, which is about two blocks east of the accident scene.

Gregory`s neighbor, Sheila Hunter, said Gregory, a legal secretary, was probably on her way to work after dropping off her 3-year-old son, Kyle, at a day-care center, when the accident occurred.

``She was the best friend anybody could ever have had,`` said Hunter, who lives in an apartment above Gregory`s Sunrise home. ``She was a very attractive and friendly woman. I just can`t believe this has happened to her.``